After chatting with some friends, I decided to share their experiences. Sometimes a personal anecdote really helps get across a concept, and if you are new to Airbnb as a guest, it might be a little hard to imagine what it is really like staying in someone’s home.

My friend Elizabeth has used Airbnb twice, once overseas and once in Portland. She says both were good experiences overall. She says, “The first time we had an entire apartment to ourselves in Portland. The second, the host had portioned off the front of their home with locked doors and so it was like a separate apartment in her house (no real kitchen).” She definitely felt that staying with Airbnb was more “homey” than staying somewhere like a hotel. It feels more like you are really “in” a city. She definitely enjoyed saving money (versus a hotel) and felt she got an overall better travel experience and location. Elizabeth considers herself a huge introvert, so a more personal experience can be a little uncomfortable for her. Both times she felt pretty prepared for what the Airbnb experience is.

Elizabeth shared a funny memory from her Airbnb travels: “I will say the first time was in Europe and OMG the stairs are like ladders. Thought I was gonna die. In the second, the floors were very squeaky.” She felt that staying in Airbnb is a much more personal experience than a hotel, since usually you’re in someone else’s space with someone’s personal rules. She recommends that travelers are prepared to “ go in with a readiness to be respectful of their (the owner’s) space in a way that a hotel may be more accommodating.” Elizabeth would definitely stay in an Airbnb space again.

Thanks for sharing your story, Elizabeth! It will help give future Airbnb guests an idea of what to expect!